PUPILS and staff at St Andrew’s Primary School in Chardstock are celebrating after its latest OFSTED report showed a real turnaround since fundamental changes were made.

After a visit at the end of November, the school was judged ‘good’ overall with ‘outstanding’ features – a particularly impressive achievement considering that it was found to be just ‘satisfactory’ overall in its previous inspection in October, 2011.

This time inspectors found pupils’ achievement, quality of teaching, and the behaviour and safety of pupils to be ‘good’, while leadership and management were ‘outstanding’.

Between the two inspections the school has become half of the Acorn Federation with Mrs Ethleston’s Primary School in Uplyme nine miles away.

In the same period there has been a wholesale change in teaching staff, which the report credits for bringing about a “transformation” in the quality of teaching, which is “now consistently good with some that is outstanding”.

Other key findings by the inspectors, led by Stephen Lake, included:

Behaviour and safety have improved significantly over the past year. Pupils show respect for each other and for adults.

The relentless drive to improve further is based on a very accurate analysis of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement.

The extremely strong leadership of the executive head teacher and the very effective governing body are ensuring rapid improvement in all areas of the school. This is recognised by parents, staff and pupils.

Executive head teacher Andrea Rice than-ked the new staff for their hard work in raising standards, and parents for their continuing support while the changes were made.

“I’m particularly pleased that the inspector recognised the significant improvements which have occurred since becoming part of the Acorn Federation,” she said.

“The staff, children and parents have all worked exceptionally hard at improving our school.

“We’re very proud of what we’ve achieved so far and look forward to building on this success.”